Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that can be acute (sudden) or chronic (long-lasting). Acute pancreatitis affects about 275,000 Americans yearly, often caused by gallstones or heavy alcohol use. Chronic pancreatitis develops over years and can lead to permanent damage, diabetes, and severe pain. Treatment focuses on managing pain, preventing complications, and addressing the underlying cause.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing anti-inflammatory drugs to calm acute attacks, enzyme replacements for digestive problems, pain medications including nerve blocks, and approaches to prevent diabetes in chronic pancreatitis. Researchers are also studying early interventions to stop acute pancreatitis from becoming chronic, and genetic testing to identify people at higher risk.
Pain management approaches
Chronic pancreatitis pain is notoriously difficult to treat. Studies are testing nerve blocks, antioxidant combinations, and pancreatic enzyme therapy given in specific ways to interrupt pain signals.
Preventing chronic disease
Researchers are working to identify which acute pancreatitis patients will develop chronic disease. Early trials are testing whether anti-inflammatory drugs or lifestyle interventions after an acute attack can prevent permanent damage.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on whether pancreatitis is acute or chronic, severity of pain, cause of disease, and whether complications like diabetes or malnutrition are present.
What types of trials are currently open
- Acute pancreatitis trials — Testing treatments given during a hospital stay to reduce inflammation, speed recovery, and prevent complications like organ failure.
- Pain trials — Testing medications, nerve blocks, or combinations to manage chronic pancreatitis pain without opioids when possible.
- Enzyme therapy trials — Testing pancreatic enzyme supplements to improve digestion and potentially reduce pain in chronic pancreatitis.
- Prevention trials — Testing whether treatments after acute pancreatitis can prevent recurrent attacks or progression to chronic disease.
- Nutritional studies — Following people with pancreatitis to understand how diet affects symptoms and whether specific nutritional approaches help manage the disease.
Recently added Pancreatitis trials
Take a pain reliever with ice water irrigation during an endoscopy procedure
The standard prophylaxis for post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP) is performed with rectal non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A recent Japanese study demonstrated the efficacy of irrigating the periampullary region with ice water, however without the concomitant use of NSAIDs. The proposed study is a randomized, single-center, single-blind clinical trial that aims to compare the efficacy of rectal NSAIDs alone versus NSAIDs associated with ice water in the prevention of PEP.
Take probiotics and cholesterol-lowering medication for acute pancreatitis
Background: Hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) has become the second most common cause of acute pancreatitis in China, accounting for up to 42.4% of cases, with high recurrence rates and substantial disease burden. Disease severity and recurrence risk are potentially linked to triglyceride (TG) levels. Current lipid-lowering strategies have limitations in efficacy, onset speed, or safety. Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis and impaired intestinal barrier function contribute to lipid metabolism regulation and systemic inflammation in HTG-AP patients. Probiotic supplementation may offer a novel therapeutic approach by modulating gut microbiota, improving lipid metabolism, and alleviating inflammation. Objective: To evaluate whether adjunctive treatment with Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium enteric-coated capsules (LCBE) reduces serum TG and inflammatory markers and improves clinical outcomes in mild to moderate HTG-AP patients. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint (PROBE design), single-center, parallel-group clinical trial. A total of 180 eligible participants will be randomized 1:1 to the intervention group (standard therapy plus oral LCBE 500 mg three times daily for 28 days) or control group (standard therapy alone). The primary endpoints are serum TG, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels on day 5 post-intervention. Secondary endpoints include TG normalization rate (\<1.7 mmol/L), lipid profile, inflammatory markers, glucose metabolism parameters, gut microbiota composition, intestinal barrier integrity, symptom relief, length of hospital stay, healthcare costs, quality of life, and safety. Expected Impact: This study aims to provide high-level evidence for probiotic adjunctive therapy in HTG-AP and to explore underlying mechanisms from the perspective of gut microbiota modulation.
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